Tag Archives: cherry

Can you identify these classic Nissan-shaped senbei crackers?

Say you’re a hard-core Nissan nut, you’re feeling a bit peckish, and a plain old non-Nissan snack simply won’t do. Fortunately for you, Nissan has officially issued a new line of senbei (rice crackers), one of Japan’s most popular munching options, … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: Touring car classes mix it up at the 1973 Japan Grand Prix

While open-wheeled cars were the main event at the 1973 Japan Grand Prix, the supporting Touring Car races were where the action was. Take the TS-a class, for example. Here were racers based on cars that anyone could afford. Nissan … Continue reading

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EVENTS: The Final New Year Meeting, Part 01

It is with a heavy heart that we bring you this report on 2019’s New Year Meeting, held on the fourth weekend of January, for it is also the very last New Year Meeting. period. Twelve years ago, JNC became … Continue reading

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Tokyo Auto Salon: Japanese Restomods

Even after 27 years, The Tokyo Auto Salon is still the premier showcase of automotive fashion from a country that has no shortage of them. Many trends have come and gone over the decades, but TAS will probably always have … Continue reading

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SHOWA SNAP: Fastbacks abound in 1975

Every time you see a new crossover ambling down the street, clogging your view, remember what life could have been. In this 1975 Japanese street scene, fastbacks are everywhere. In the car park to the right there’s a Corona Mark … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A complete snapshot of Nissan circa 1974

A short film made in the UK shows a complete snapshot of Nissan’s activities in what appears to be 1974. After a brief history of the carmaker’s early history, it delves into the company’s extensive manufacturing and R&D efforts. And … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Automotive Invitational

It has been a banner year for Nihon steel at Monterey Car Week. The annual series of ultra-prestigious automotive events have traditionally excluded Japanese cars, but 2018 saw, for example, Nissan become the first carmaker from Japan to be honored … Continue reading

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MINICARS: A beginner’s guide to JNC Legos, Part 01

The popularity of Legos had exploded in recent years, leading to many fans going beyond off-the-shelf kits and building their own custom creations. We’ve posted about Legos before, starting from back in 2013, and while the Lego renaissance was already underway … Continue reading

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EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 08 — Leaving in Style

The New Year Meeting is an magical festival of vehicular awesomeness, but what happens when the party’s over? Most owners drive their cars home, but sometimes you want to ship your precious cargo. With many areas of Japan more crowded … Continue reading

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EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 02 — Club Scene

In Part 01 of our 2017 New Year Meeting we spent the morning wandering around the swap meet, browsing everything from old car parts to old posters to model cars. After filling up with an early lunch, it was time to look … Continue reading

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50 YEAR CLUB: Fuji Speedway

In a year of momentous anniversaries for Japanese automotive institutions, one stands above all others in shaping the cars we love. Fuji Speedway, which opened in 1966 and turned 50 this year, has been the birthplace of countless legends, whether … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway

For 20 years, Nissan’s motorsports division has put on an annual gala for followers of its many racing machines and successes. The NISMO Festival is a Burning Man for Nissan nuts, a mecca for fans of Sunny and Skyline alike. Best of all, … Continue reading

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PIXELATED: A Datsun Cherry stars in the most realistic car simulator ever created

Forget Sega GT. Forget Forza. Forget Gran Turismo. Though we haven’t even played it yet, we’re beyond certain that the most realistic car simulator ever created is My Summer Car, a Finnish game where you restore an E10 Datsun Cherry one frustrating part at a time. 

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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 03 — The Fast & the Fastidious

In this installment, we take a look at two very different types of cars: original barn finds and restorations whose every last nut is factory correct, and those that were treated like instruments of war. In other words, all the stuff that’s prized by predictably … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan

A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza

Today’s guest writer is my friend Mika Latvala from Finland, who sent an event report from the Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza. Enjoy! —Ben The Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza, or FinnJAE, is for all Japanese car enthusiasts in the country. All cars are welcome, no matter … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2015 Nostalgic2Days, Part 02

One of the featured marques at this year’s Nostalgic2Days was Isuzu. It’s a brand that usually doesn’t get much love, here or in Japan, so it was a rare opportunity to see some machines from the company’s own collection. 

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting Part 07 — Compact Flash

Today (no pun intended!) we take a look at the classic city cars that showed up at the New Year Meeting. Some, like this happy red Honda Today, are kei cars, but not all. As you might remember, the Today was the star car in You’re Under … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 05 — Racers and Replicas

There is no shortage of motorsports history in Japan, and it’s not uncommon there to find road-going replicas of some of of the nation’s most iconic — and some not-so-iconic — competition machines. Here at the New Year Meeting, it’s a … Continue reading

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